Employees working in Pingo Doce stores closed? “Prevention”

A pingo Doce supermarket chain announced, on Tuesday night, that it would close all its stores in mainland Portugal today due to the worsening state of time. However, according to a union report, employees had to go to work behind closed doors. Ao News to Minutes, the company ensured that they are “very small teams” in “prevention”.

In a statement, the Independent Trade Workers Union, Offices, Services, Restoration and Drinks and Others (SITCES) expressed its “deep concern and indignation at the decision of Pingo Doce to close stores to the public due to adverse weather conditions, but keeping workers inside the establishments, with doors closed”.

For the union, “this decision raises serious questions about the protection of workers’ safety and health.”.

“ If the weather conditions are serious enough to justify the closure of stores to the public, the company cannot ignore the risks to which workers moving to their workplaces remain subject without an effective exercise of functions”, he added.

And he shot: “Workers cannot be treated as if they were immune to weather.”.

Shops with “very small teams” in “prevention”

Questioned by News to Minutes, the supermarket chain stressed that “people’s safety is Pingo Doce’s priority and is the basis of all decisions made in this context” and ensured that stores “keep only very small teams”.

“ The safety of people is the priority of Pingo Doce and is the basis of all decisions made in this context. The shops of continental Portugal are closed to the public and only keep very small teams, usually with two or three employees, who are for prevention ", said Pingo Doce in clarifying the News to Minutes.

Underlining that the Pingo Doce announced that it would close all shops in mainland Portugal due to the worsening weather conditions and “in response to the calls of the authorities to avoid all non-essential movements”.

In a statement, the company stressed that it took “the difficult decision to close, throughout the day”, the shops in continental territory, due to the “severe worsening of weather forecast” on Wednesday and following the appeals of the authorities.

“ Given that the alert situation was decreed during the 24 hours of November 11th, we are sure of the understanding of our customers, whom we already thank ", can still read.

Continental Portugal is now in a state of alert until 11:59 p.m. due to the depression Charles, which caused hundreds of occurrences last night, mainly floods, falls from trees and collapses.

The government decided to close non-essential schools and public services in all districts, and more than three hundred flights were cancelled in Lisbon, Faro, Madeira and Porto.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), which issued several red warnings due to rain and wind, depression changed its characteristics and on its way to the continent, this morning, there is a reduction in the intensity of wind and gusts. There's still a lot of rain ahead.